THE GIFT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 201, 2 September 1874, Page 2

THE GIFT.

Take this my gift—a sad and sorry one — For we must part; And since our sunny days of joy are gone, Nothing to me remainelh but a lone And broken heart. One severed half I give my love to thee— A fitting token ; Keep it and cherish it wilh constancy, In memory of to at whieh still wilh uie Bideth, though broken. 11. WOMAN'S ATTRACTIVENESS. Personal attractions most girls possess—at any rale, in a sufficient degree to render them attractive to somebody ; for although there are standards and models of beauty, yet these do not prevail with all persons. There is something wonderful iu the difference of aspect which the same face wears to different beholders. Probably the philosophical explanation of this is, that what is hidden to all others becomes immediately and instinctively apparent to t-he eye of Love.

How can a moderately good-looking girl increase her at traction ? By culture. She must cultivate her mind. An ignorant and illiterate woman, even if she attract the attention, cannot retain the interest, of an intelligent man. She must do this by reading, by study, by reflection, and by familiar conversation with the beet and most highly educated persons with whom she comes in contact.

But the heart must be cnltivated as well as the head.

“ Of all things,” exclaimed a most elegant and refined gentleman, after nearly a lifetime’s familiarity with the best society—“of all things give me softness and gentleness in a woman." A harsh voice, a course laughtrifles like these—have suddenly spoiled many a favourable first impression.

The cultivation of the heart must be real, and not feigned. A woman who studies to appear, rat her than to be, good and generous, seldom succeeds in deceiving the opposite sex iu these respects. She who in truth seeks earnestly to promote the happiness of those around her, is very apt soon to obtain admirers among men. Above all other requisites in a woman is conscientiousness. Without this one touchstone of character, no matter what her charms and acquirements, she cannot expect to command the lasting regard of any man whose love is worth having.— Young Ladies’ Journal.

The system of “ gadding ” so much in vogue at the present day, and which amounts to little short of domestic infliction, is a thing which should be deprecated by all well-bred persons. There are two sorts of “ gadders " : Those who are perpetually boring one with formal visits, accompanied with paste-board excuses for gossip and scandal; and those who take advantage of familiarity with the family circle to make incursions on its privacy at all sorts of unreasonable and unseasonable hours. The vanity of those persons must lead them to believe that their company is a most desirable acquisition, to say notliing of their want of good sense, and consideration for the personal feelings of those whem they delight to honor. If these “gadders” did but reflect how likely such a perversion of the rules of proper etiquette is to cause them to be “ lightly esteemed il they could but see how slowly and surely undue familiarity doth breed contempt, they would be less lavish with their gratuitous favors. Society is held together by an ever-occurring attention to the amenities of social intercourse controlled by its own unwritten laws, while friendship is cemented, not so much by trading on the opportunities one phase of domestic life is able to afford another, as by a sparing, yet sincere and disinterested proof of it. A particular observance of that well-known maxim, “A fool's footstep is always over his neighbour’s threshhold,” might be of infinite service in maintaining many friendships that would otherwise grow cold.— Magazine.